Individual Accountability Research Articles

Effect of Work Motivation and Discipline on Employee Performance

The present research examined the influence of work motivation and discipline on employee performance within a governmental organization in the West Java province. The study investigated the predominant factor affecting job performance in the agency above. Specifically, the research examined whether motivation or discipline has a more significant impact on employee performance. The sample size for the study consisted of 58 employees who were surveyed using a questionnaire. The research utilized path analysis to establish the authenticity of motivation and work discipline variables in a government agency in West Java Province. The results highlight the importance of prioritizing work motivation and discipline to improve employee performance. The research findings underscored the substantial impact of motivation (X1) and work discipline (X2) on the performance of employees (Y). The results indicate that motivation contributed more significantly than the other factor. This suggests that the organization could enhance employee performance by promoting motivation and addressing their needs, which would positively impact their performance. Although motivation has a more significant impact than work discipline, the latter still holds significant importance as a fundamental component. The agency can achieve the enhancement of employee performance through the implementation of regulatory compliance, the reevaluation of existing protocols, the imposition of penalties for non-compliance, and the provision of incentives for those who exhibit work discipline. Cultivating a solid work ethic is of utmost importance as it reflects adherence to workplace regulations and individual accountability, thereby directly influencing achieving maximum employee productivity. As a result, a positive correlation exists between high levels of discipline and maximum work productivity.

Collaboration & Co-Creative Media Making in Precarious Times

This contribution fathoms the potential of collaborative, co-creative media practices in precarious times – in times of climate emergency and a terrifying loss of biodiversity, accompanied by socio-psychological and socio-cultural crises. It is set in times in which, despite the urgency to react, we are still often facing a lack of comprehension for the complex global dimension of these crises, accompanied with a paralysing apathy, passive-depressive resignation and sometimes even a refusal to face collective and individual accountability as well as respond in actual doing to the urgent call to action. Taking Félix Guattari's ecosophical thought of three interdependent ecologies (1989, 1996) and their prolongation in currently emerging environmental humanities with recent discourses in documentary and digital theory as a framework, the objective of this contribution is to discuss approaches in emerging media making and to deduce strategies how to 'make things matter'. Within this bigger context, the theoretical argument is based on key concepts in co-creation as well as aspects in the creative use of mobile, interactive, networked devices to 'craft' media assemblages in which often, processes are more important than artefacts and which make participants/user-creators aware of being themselves entangled in multifaceted biological, psychological, physical, social and cultural contexts. The nucleus hereby resides in the intertwining of emplaced interaction in hyperglocal contexts, the idea of focussed perception and perspective taking, and foremost the potential for networked|networking (Wiehl 2019). The hypothesis runs that due to their specific affordances, especially co-creative media practices can contribute to a shift from mere matters of fact in climate communication to matters of concern (Latour 2004) and – ultimately hopefully – matters of care (La Puig de Bellacasa 2017). The idea is to mobilize (co-)creative participants not only to witness climate change and document the most often invisible shifts in their surroundings, but rather to invite them to engage in local and at the same global interventions and thus to rediscover collective responsibilities and communal agency in this situation. Through the lens of these features, different strategies of how to mobilize user-participants will be discussed, focussing on different venues to encourage an empathetic idea of local as well global consciousness, care and emotional engagement – an approach which goes beyond top-down communication of (scientific) facts but which encourages creative communal action-taking. As paradigmatic projects, we will examine The Disaster Resilience Journal (2014) and ISeeChange (2019) – both of them being multilayered configurations building on various activities around 'doing documentary'. It will be discussed how interdependent entanglements of agents in these two projects aim at catalysing meaningful place-based environmental engagement, including community-based citizen-science driven action-taking but at the same time experiences that go beyond cognitive understanding.

Does Accountability Matter in Performance?: Cases from Charity Navigator

As the charitable sector continues to grow, so do concerns over its accountability. Calls for greater accountability for nonprofits have led to not only an increase in government oversight activities, but also the proliferation of accountability standards within non-profit communities as the sector has been determined to address the issue through self-regulation efforts. Given the pervasiveness of the standards movement, the purpose of this study is to evaluate whether and to what extent accountability reforms matter in improving organizational performance. Various theories (e.g., scientific management and organizational learning theories; resource dependence theory and institutional iso-morphism) are explored to understand the nature of the accountability-performance relationship. Analysis of Charity Navigator data (N=943) indicates that accountability measures are positively associated with financial performance (more efficient in using resources, for example). Reviewing CEOs’ compensation packages is one of the indi-vidual accountability features that is particularly impactful in improving performance. Additionally, our findings shed light on the expansive scope of the standards move-ment, highlighting the importance of further investigating the connection between ac-countability and organizational performance beyond finance.

Online peer-assessment quality control: A proactive measure, validation study, and sensitivity analysis

Despite the generally positive learning effects of peer-assessment (PA), there are some undesirable signs and troublesome behavior needed to be addressed (e.g., biased judgments, superficial-level engagement). Anchoring on the concept of individual accountability and assessment validity, while attending to other important elements (including both subjective and objective criteria, individuals’ differentiation ability across the points on the assessment scale, and completion rate), a measure was proposed for PA quality control. This measure consists of four indexes/variables and enables the quantification and appraisal of the peer-assessor’s performance. A validation study involving two classes of undergraduate students (N = 103) engaged in the assessment of peers’ oral presentations was conducted to evaluate the effects of the proposed measure. The statistically significant results confirmed the efficacy of the proposed measure to promote better online PA performance. Additionally, to assess its applicability, sensitivity analysis targeting different aspects of our proposed measure (i.e., different plausible weighting for each of the associated indexes/variables, different correlation values between peers’ and the teacher’s ratings, and different bound values for the scale) was conducted. All significant results of the 281 test cases further substantiated the applicability and efficacy of our proposed measure under various assessment schemes for PA quality control.

How to Support Co-creation in Higher Education: The Validation of a Questionnaire

In this study, we regard co-creation as a collaborative process where students, lecturers and working field professionals from outside the university jointly develop innovative products, processes or knowledge. In co-creation all stakeholders equally contribute to the collaborative process and aim to create beneficial outcomes for each participant. Co-creation can be used as a valuable pedagogical method to support continuous interaction between learning and working in higher education to foster innovation. However, this process is not necessarily mastered by co-creation groups. In order to identify which components of this collaboration process can be further improved, we developed a questionnaire to assess co-creation processes in higher education. Students, lecturers and working field professionals participating in co-creation projects completed the questionnaire. We validated the questionnaire using a principal component analysis. The seven extracted scales proved to be sufficiently reliable. The final questionnaire consists of seven components: positive interdependence, individual accountability, collaboration, shared mental models, safe and supporting conditions, creative community, and group evaluation. We described how the tool can be used in practice.

Assessing the Efficacy of Group Work Using a Group Work Assessment Framework

Group work as a learning activity in education is to enhance students’ content knowledge and develop social skills. The minimal individual and group accountability has often led to only a few students working towards achieving the group goals. Research has suggested taking care of the task design and assessment to achieve the efficacy of group work. Towards this, a Group Work Assessment Framework (GAF) is proposed. The GAF consists of a detailed roadmap of planning, implementation, and assessment taking into account the task design and assessment with specific guidelines for teachers and students. A participatory design to develop and implement the GAF was applied. Six tutors as designers and 11 tutors as implementors were involved. A total of 221 students and 8 tutors participated in the survey and interviews. The findings indicate that GAF enhanced individual and group accountability. The assessment of the group work was found to be fair as each student was marked based on his/her contribution and collaboration using evidence like meeting minutes, meeting attendance, recording, and student consultation. The study findings may provide an empirical base for policy directives to implement GAF in higher education to enhance students’ learning and develop social skills. A study may be carried out after a few cycles of implementation for any revision in the GAF.

The Use of Bhuppa' Bhabbhu Ghuru Rato Philosophy to Strengthen the Performance Accountability of Government Institutions

This study aimed to reveal the wisdom of the State Civil Apparatus (SCA) in charge of the Government Agency Performance Accountability System (GAPAS) organization in the Situbondo Regency, Indonesia. The research focused on individual accountability practices to strengthen the performance accountability of governmental institutions based on the Madura philosophy of Bhuppa’ Bhabbhu Ghuru Rato. Ethnomethodology was conducted using four steps: indexicality analysis, reflexivity, contextual action, and common-sense presentation. The individuals involved in the GAPAS were not entirely Madurese; nevertheless, the Madura philosophy of Bhuppa’ Bhabbhu Ghuru Rato had been internalized by everyone. It was found that this philosophical understanding was not only for individuals but also could be a role model for subordinates. This philosophy was believed to be one of the success factors in achieving the A rank for three consecutive years in the GAPAS. Regional leaders need to consider the strength of the philosophy of local wisdom and internalize it in organizational management since it can positively impact individual performance.
 Keywords: performance, accountability, Madura philosophy, obedient, role model

Exploring accountant’s involvement in circular economy: experiences and perspectives of practitioners

PurposeTransitioning to a circular economy (CE) requires efforts from a broad range of stakeholders; however, the role of accountants within this remains inconspicuous. Taking individual accountants’ perspective within the UK context, this study aims to investigate the current state of involvement of accountants in the CE (and sustainability more broadly) as well as the barriers that they face.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopted a multi-perspective investigation drawing on viewpoints from various actors such as qualified accountants, trainee accountants, accountants holding senior positions within sustainability and/or CE and non-accountants with an expertise in sustainability and CE to understand the barriers that accountants face in their involvement in CE. The study consisted of 23 semi-structured interviews with participants at different levels of CE and sustainability engagement.FindingsThe authors find that the lack of involvement of accountants in embracing CE principles arises from the conceptual distinction between the perceived nature of sustainability and accounting, and the perceived stereotypical views of accountants, rather than the capabilities of the accountants themselves. This results in tensions of engagement that impede their involvement. The authors therefore offer a deeper, context-bound understanding of the factors that contribute towards a lack of involvement with accountants as key stakeholders in the CE.Originality/valueThrough an exploratory inquiry of accountant’s perspective, and drawing on accounting literature on stereotypes, the authors provide a novel understanding into the nuances, inherent tensions and trade-offs that exist in involving accountants in the CE.

Call Individuals to Action.

This commentary calls on individuals, researchers and leaders to reconsider the sustained and ongoing impact of colonialism with respect to our individual commitment to relationships in a context where policy alone will not address the issues we face. The author intends to recognize people's individual power and accountability in their relationship with Indigenous Peoples and describes how relationships, in the end, will drive the change that is needed. The author raises the need for distinctions-based legislation to carry and convey the intention for change. Individuals empowered by the legislation are urged to use their personal leadership to address racist policies and services. This paper is a call to make the commitment to being in relationship with Indigenous People and using levers within their scope of practice to address discrimination and racism against Indigenous Peoples in healthcare.

The faces behind the numbers: pathways for strengthening student learning progress and recovery by engaging in continuous improvement

This article delineates the success of a leadership plan that one middle school in Center Point, Alabama implemented as a response to a Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) designation due to performing in the bottom 5% of all middle schools across the state. School leadership, in partnership with coaching from Studer Education, worked tirelessly to improve school culture and engage in continuous improvement to benefit student achievement. Prioritizing student-centered practices and learning progression allowed leaders to identify barriers to student progress and shifted the focus away from isolated performance. Drawing on three effective execution practices (individual accountability, reliability, and consistency) aided in the middle school’s ability to utilize transparent data to implement strategic continuous improvement. Moreover, leadership partnered with the school community and launched mentoring programs designed to support students with varying social and academic needs. This school’s commitment to continuous improvement speaks to the transformation the school achieved during and post-pandemic.

Unmaking agency: intersectionality and narrative silencing in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s This Mournable Body

In This Mournable Body, the voice of Dangarembga’s Tambu is strikingly missing. What happened to the protagonist whose voice pervades the narrative landscape of the earlier novels? This paper attempts to account for the authorial shift in narrative perspective. It engages the ‘unmaking’ of Tambu’s agency by deliberating on the causal factors through the framework of Intersectionality. By tracing Tambu’s subjectivity in the post colony back to her actions in Nervous Conditions and The Book of Not, this paper examines the implications of her co-constructing multiple identities. It argues that Tambu’s misjudgments, pathology, narrative erasure, silencing, disrupt her presence in this last trilogy, and her predicament also parallels the anxieties and travails of her fragile post colony. Further, the paper considers the constituents of agency within the postcolonial African cultural context, affirms that Dangarembga celebrates the power of women in the post colony, and shifts the criteria for agency to a new level of activism against oppressive neocolonial forces. More significantly, the author also aligns her women’s activism with Unhu communal ethics and practices. Overall, the paper establishes that Dangarembga’s political critique in This Mournable Body is evident in her representational choices which reinforce social awareness, individual accountability, and communal responsibility as the redemptive pathway for postcolonial African nations.

Towards understanding accountability for physicians practice in India.

The lack of accountability is considered to be a major cause of the crisis in health care in India. Physicians as key stakeholders in the health care delivery system have traditionally been accountable for health concerns at the doctor-patient interface. Following social and organizational dynamics, the interpretations of accountability have broadened and shifted in the recent literature, expanding accountability to the community, national and global levels and to social domains. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive framework of accountability in medical practice that can be used as a vehicle for further contextualized research and policy input. Through literature review, this paper is presented in two parts. First, a description of accountability of a physician inclusive of the social domains is extracted by posing three pertinent questions: who is accountable? accountability to whom? and accountability for what? which addresses the roles, relationships with other stakeholders and domains of accountability. Second, a framework of accountability of a physician is designed and presented to illustrate the professional and social domains. This study revealed a shift from individual physician's accountability to collective accountability involving multiple stakeholders through complex reciprocal and multi-layered mechanisms inclusive of the social dimensions. We propose a comprehensive framework of accountability of the physician to include the social domains that its multidimensional and integrative of all stakeholders. Furthermore, we discuss the utility of the framework in the Indian health care system and how this can facilitate further research in understanding the social dimensions of all stakeholders.

Responsibility of Sexual Violence Under International Law

The extent and nature of sexual violence throughout the war vary. Sexual violence is pervasive in some conflicts, such as ethnic conflicts, but it is relatively rare in other conflicts. Sexual slavery is one form of sexual violence in inevitable conflicts, while detention torture is another. The ICTY has carried out in-depth prosecutions and investigations of cases of sexual violence committed during times of war, leading to the filing of several indictments for crimes perpetrated in Bosnia - Herzegovina as early as 1995. By enabling the litigation of sexual violence as a war crime, crime against humanity, and genocide, the ICTY has advanced international criminal equity in sex crimes. This article attempts to provide readers with a clear understanding of two types of obligations: personal criminal culpability and state responsibility. The responsible for sexual violence presents a significant challenge to international law and misinterprets other laws, according to the conclusion. People are struggling with responsibility because, as the article pointed out, there are two different kinds of accountability in contemporary society: individual accountability and state accountability. The article's conclusions indicate that sexual violence is a personal responsibility.

Exploring accountability of individuals in the mining sector: A multi-level perspective

Purpose: In heavy industries like mining, where safety is paramount, organisations need a well-functioning system of accountability. Yet to whom employees perceive they are accountable differs at varying hierarchical levels. This article reports on the findings from a study that investigated sources of accountability at different organisational levels in a certain mining operation and the mechanisms used to manage such accountability.Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory, qualitative research methodology was used in the study, underpinned by in-depth interviews with participants from three organisational levels: blue-collar workers, supervisors and managers. The data collected were analysed using thematic content analysis.Findings/results: Blue-collar workers and supervisors considered self-accountability and accountability to line managers to be the primary sources of accountability. However, managers stressed the importance of accountability to regulatory bodies and the legal implications of non-adherence to prescribed standards. All participants perceived their reputations to be heavily dependent on their accountability relationships. Mechanisms used in the organisation to promote accountability included clarifying roles and responsibilities, building open and honest interpersonal relationships, implementing standardised policies and procedures, and offering financial incentives.Practical implications: The findings from the study informed the development of a conceptual accountability model, which should help mining executives in other organisations to manage the accountability process and promote responsible and safe behaviour at all organisational levels.Originality/value: There is limited empirical research on sources of accountability in organisations. This study provides useful insights that help to fill this gap.

Detecting Hate Speech and Offensive Language using Machine Learning in Published Online Content

Businesses are more concerned than ever about hate speech content as most brand communication and advertising move online. Different organisations may be incharge of their products and services but they do not have complete control over their content posted online via their website and social media channels, they have no control over what online users post or comment about their brand. As a result, it became imperative in our study to develop a model that will identify hate speechand, offensive language and detect cyber offence in online published content using machine learning. This study employed an experimental design to develop a detection model for determining which agile methodologies were preferred as a suitable development methodology. Deep learning and HateSonar was used to detect hate speech and offensive language in posted content. This study used data from Twitter and Facebook to detect hate speech. The text was classified as either hate speech, offensive language, or both. During the reconnaissance phase, the combined data (structured and unstructured) was obtained from kaggle.com. The combined data was stored in the database as raw data. This revealed that hate speech and offensive language exist everywhere in the world, and the trend of the vices is on the rise. Using machine learning, the researchers successfully developed a model for detecting offensive language and hate speech on online social media platforms. The labelling in the model makes it simple to categorise data in a meaningful and readable manner. The study establishes that in fore model to detect hate speech and offensive language on online social media platforms, the data set must be categorised and presented in statistical form after running the model; the count indicates the total number of data sets imported. The mean for each category, as well as the standard deviation and the minimum and maximum number of tweets in each category, are also displayed. The study established that preventing online platform abuse in Zambia requires a comprehensive approach that involves government law, responsible platform policies and practices, as well as individual responsibility and accountability. In accordance with this goal, the research was effective in developing the detection model. To guarantee that the model was completely functional, it was trained on the English dataset before being applied to the local language dataset. This was because of the fact that training deep learning models with local datasets can present a number of challenges, such as limited, biased data, data privacy, resource requirements, and model maintenance. However, the efficacy of these systems varies, and there have been concerns raised about the inherent biases and limitations of automatic moderation techniques. The study recommends that future studies consider other sources of information such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other social media platforms, as well as consider harvesting local data sets for training machines rather than relying on foreign data sets; the local data set can then be used to detect offences targeting Zambian citizens on local platforms.

SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES OF THEIR TEACHERS’ GROUP WORK ASSESSMENT PRACTICES

Group work is an educational tool designed to develop learners’ cognitive and social skills at different levels of education across various subjects. We felt that it is important to see learners’ perspectives of group work assessment as they are clients that stay with teachers the whole year. To this effect, the study aimed to examine grades 11 and 12 students’ perspectives of their teachers' group work assessment practices in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS), Ethiopia. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design as the purpose of the study was to survey and describe the assessment practices. To achieve this, 270 students were selected with a systematic random sampling technique for a questionnaire survey. However, only 212 students filled the questionnaire properly. To examine whether the expected mean values were statistically significant or not as compared to the observed mean scores at both an item and scale levels, a one-sample t-test was applied. The results showed that the assessment of group work focuses on the assessment of group product with little consideration of group process and individual contribution to the group work. Besides, the teachers used to employ limited groupbased assessment tools such as group presentations, written group reports, and paper-pencil tests (tests, quizzes, examinations) which are aligned with the assessment of group product while tools that may foster group process and individual accountability like individual written reports, presentations, portfolios, demonstrations, and debates were inadequately used. Based on the findings, it was recommended that SNNPRS Education Bureau has to organize induction for teachers on group work assessment skills. Keywords: assessment practice; assessment tool; group assessment; group process; group outcome

Accountability Issues, Online Covert Hate Speech, and the Efficacy of Counter‐Speech

Concerning individual or institutional accountability for online hate speech, research has revealed that most such speech is covert (veiled or camouflaged expressions of hate) and cannot be addressed with existing measures (e.g., deletion of messages, prosecution of the perpetrator). Therefore, in this article, we examine another way to respond to and possibly deflect hate speech: counter-speech. Counter-narratives aim to influence those who write hate speech, to encourage them to rethink their message, and to offer to all who read hate speech a critical deconstruction of it. We created a unique set of parameters to analyze the strategies used in counter-speech and their impact. Upon analysis of our database (manual annotations of 15,000 Twitter and YouTube comments), we identified the rhetoric most used in counter-speech, the general impact of the various counter-narrative strategies, and their specific impact concerning several topics. The impact was defined by noting the number of answers triggered by the comment and the tone of the answers (negative, positive, or neutral). Our data reveal an overwhelming use of argumentative strategies in counter-speech, most involving reasoning, history, statistics, and examples. However, most of these argumentative strategies are written in a hostile tone and most dialogues triggered are negative. We also found that affective strategies (based on displaying positive emotions, for instance) led to a positive outcome, although in most cases these narratives do not receive responses. We recommend that education or training—even machine learning such as empathetic bots—should focus on strategies that are positive in tone, acknowledging grievances especially.

THE ROME STATUTE: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE ROLE OF THE SWGCA IN DEFINING THE CRIME OF AGGRESSION

The main theme of this study is how the Rome Statute was created and why, even though article 5 of the ICC Statute brought the prosecution of crimes of aggression under its purview, the court's jurisdiction over such crimes was postponed. In addition, the Special Working Group on the Crime of Aggression (SWGCA), which was particularly influenced by the precedent set by the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals, considered the facts and the decisions made in reaching the final description for the crime of aggression. The study will also discuss recent cases involving crimes of aggression that upheld the fundamental rule of individual accountability under international criminal law. The qualitative research methodology has been applied on following article.

Staying Informed of Best Evidence to Guide Practice

Staying Informed of Best Evidence to Guide Practice

Beyond Retribution: Exploring Theories of Punishment in Ethics and Philosophy

This research paper delves into the intricate realm of punishment theories within the frameworks of ethics and philosophy, transcending conventional notions of retribution. It embarks on a journey to unravel the multifaceted dimensions of punishment, shedding light on its philosophical underpinnings, ethical implications, and societal ramifications. Departing from traditional retributive paradigms that prioritize vengeance and deterrence, this study navigates through alternative perspectives that advocate for rehabilitation, restoration, and moral transformation. Drawing upon a diverse array of philosophical insights and ethical considerations, this paper critically evaluates various theories of punishment, including consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. It examines how these theories conceptualize the purpose and justification of punishment, contemplating their compatibility with principles of justice, fairness, and human dignity. Moreover, it scrutinizes the practical applications of these theories within contemporary legal systems, assessing their effectiveness in promoting social harmony, individual accountability, and communal well-being. By exploring the complexities of punishment beyond retribution, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the moral and philosophical frameworks that shape our attitudes towards justice and punishment. It advocates for a nuanced approach that acknowledges the inherent complexities of human behaviour, the potential for redemption, and the imperative of fostering a more compassionate and rehabilitative justice system. Ultimately, this paper endeavours to provoke critical reflection and stimulate discourse on the ethical foundations of punishment, paving the way for a more enlightened and humane approach to justice in society.